This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art, which may be related to various aspects of the present invention that are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Typically, video display and projection systems employ an illumination system (for example, a light engine) for generating light ultimately used to form an image. Liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) systems and/or multi-imager systems, such as high temperature polysilicon (HTPS) systems, or even digital light processor (DLP) systems typically employ a single illumination system that utilizes a specialized high pressure mercury arc lamp as an illumination source. The arc lamp is adapted to provide the illumination system with white light, which is subsequently split or dispersed using optical devices (e.g., color wheel, filters, etc.) into three primary colors, namely, red green and blue (RGB). Thereafter, the RGB light is combined using yet additional optical devices for generating a colored image.
The usage of arc lamps as an illumination source in video units has various shortcomings. For example, LCOS systems may require high power illumination, such that the power provided by the arc lamps is insufficient for optimally satisfying illumination requirements of such systems. In addition, arc lamps used in the above systems may have a relatively short lifetime and may require frequent replacement. In addition, because the multiple imagers in the above systems are dependent on the single lamp as an illumination source, all of the imagers of the system can become simultaneously non-operational should the lamp malfunction. Further, replacement of the lamp may be cumbersome, requiring major disassembly of the entire display system and/or some of its elements. In addition, the above mentioned optical and other devices typically used to disperse and, thereafter, recombine the light may occupy a substantial amount of space within the illumination and projection systems in which they are employed. Accordingly, these optical devices may dictate that the video display unit in which they are disposed is undesirably large. Further, mercury contained within some of the arc lamps render those lamps environmentally unfriendly.